hope and healing. christian bale, star of "the dark knight rises" visits with survivors of the tragic shooting in aurora, colorado as officials try to figure out if the alleged gunman used taxpayer money, intended for his education, to fund his rampage. a killer whale attacking his trainer in 2006. a man dragged by his foot and held under water. incredibly he survived. we'll tell you why these images just released. team "today" in the uk.

with opening ceremonies a few days away we've all made our way to london today, july 25th, 2012. >> announcer: from nbc news, this is a special edition of "today," countdown to the olympic games with matt lauer and savannah guthrie, live from olympic games with matt lauer and savannah guthrie, live from london, england. captions paid for by nbc-universal television and good morning, everyone. welcome to "today" on this wednesday morning. i'm matt lauer. my third day here in london during the buildup to the summer olympic games. we're standing here at the tower of london. behind me the famed tower bridge with the olympic ring hanging beneath it as this city gets prepared to welcome the world here in just a couple of days. now, savannah, al and natalie actually arrived a little earlier this morning. but in typical fashion they

decided they wanted to make a grand entrance. here they come in a cab. hey, guys. good morning. >> how are you. mr. roker, sir. nice to see you guys. welcome. >> finally. >> is anyone going to pay the cabdriver. >> we put it on your tab. >> we're big continuers, too. >> how was the flight overnight? >> cruised down the olympic lanes and got here almost in time. good afternoon instead of morning. good hours, we like that. >> we want to mention the competition -- it does start after the opening ceremony but actually began today in some competitors. in soccer u.s. women take on france today. that's a highly anticipated match. by the way, take a look at the aquatic center, one of the great venues over in olympic park and take a look at ryan lochte, one

of the stars of the u.s. team getting a little warm-up action in over there. so things are really heating up. >> talk about heating up, there's going to be a fierce competition in the pool from ryan lochte and michael phelps. they will face off as soon as this week. speaking of ryan, another ryan joining us, our special correspondent ryan seacrest will give us the scoop at the aquatic center. >> missy franklin, the 17-year-old known as the missile. she could swim away with seven medals in london. exciting to watch her as well. >> the mayor of london is quite a character. he's here playing it cool. he's going to be chatting with you a little bit. welcome all of us and welcome the world. >> he's been working on this for a very, very long time. >> we're going to begin with what's being done for the games with stephanie gosk. good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning. every city that hosts the games

asks the same question, how are we going to keep the games safe. in the last few weeks there's been a scandal with a private security company and has some people in the city wondering whether london is ready. those in charge insist it is. the largest peace time security operation in british history starts at the olympic park. this week athletes are pouring in. soon spectators will as well. so when the private security firm g4s announced four weeks ago they could not provide enough guards at the gates, the british military was forced to step up. 4700 troops now check bags and man x-rays. at venues outside of london, the local police have had to fill in. but metropolitan police commander says the g4s debacle has not compromised security. >> what it did do, people in all the agencies had to work a bit harder. >> reporter: the security guards

are just one part of a much larger operation. from this command and control center broad hurts is in charge on the ground, water, and air. they are backed up by a military arsenal including surface-to-air missiles, typhoon fighter jets and the royal navy's largest ship the hms ocean. it's an historic buildup londoners have noticed. >> if something did happen, we'd be equipped to respond to it quite well. >> there are also multiple layers of security the public won't see, including new technology to remotely control vehicles if they get carjacked installed in thousands of buses. we were given a firsthand demonstration. >> it's measuring everything from speed down to how much i'm pressing the accelerator. >> reporter: at the side of the road a colleague took control of the car electric a laptop. >> really can't do anything with the vehicle.

>> reporter: now coming to a complete stop. even more important than technology and firepower, say commanders, is experience. on july 7th, 2005, just a day after london was awarded the 2012 games, the city was attacked by a home grown terror cell. 52 people were killed. >> terrorism has been a fact of life in the united kingdom since 9/11 and really before. but the security services because of that experience are as good, if not better, than any security service in the world. >> reporter: security says the likelihood of a large scale attack is quite small. what they are more concerned about is the lone wolf attack, a person acting on their own. the best defense against that is public vigilance. matt. stephanie, thank you very much. the mayor of london. make mayor, good morning to you. >> i'm doing well. >> we had you in new york a while back. nice to see you.

>> nice to be here. >> years of planning, a lot of ups and downs, here we are three days away from opening ceremony. you're going to go out to where the torch is being run through london. >> i'm in the going to carry it. >> are you not allowed to carry it. >> there's a no politicians rule. if i tried to grab the torch, policeman would haul me off of it. >> you should do it. you would be on every newscast. >> but not in a good way. >> when you see the torch, is that the moment it will hit home. >> for four years we've been getting this thing ready. i went down to the village yesterday and it was like an incredible time share except more luxurious and with a better economic prospect. i felt very floaty, it's something so huge for london and the whole city. >> you talk about economic prospects.

obviously it's about the spirit of competition, the movement but big business for london. what do you want people to think of your city after they watch this game. >> this is the number one cultural artistic city in europe. it stands in relation to the european continent new york does to the united states. the number one banking finance center. it's the world capital. i'm afraid to say, i've pointed out before on your show, we invented just about every one of the sports including baseball by the way. >> right. i think on my show you said you have invented everything useful to mankind. let's talk about security. some real blunders g4s the private company charged with guarding many venues here. are you worried someone watching those stories who might have considered causing harm at the games might feel emboldened to

do so. >> i think on the contrary, they will recognize what we've got is a very good relationship between the armed services, who were always going to be part of this things. we were going to have loads of military personnel plus g4s, and the police. you go around and look at how they are working it's exceptional. >> on a local level, do you feel you've plugged any holes that might have been created by that private company. >> the venues are as safe as we can make them, matt. the thing about security, politicians can never say the whole thing is 100% nailed down, because there's always a risk, news case, of course that's true. the intelligence we're getting the overall risk has been downgraded from severe to substantial, the terrorist threat, that kind of stuff. on the venue security, it's as

safe as it's ever been. >> now they are whining about the sun. >> we should be olympic contestants for the art of winging. >> we say whining. >> whimpering. >> they are complaining about traffic. we zipped through the olympic lanes, they worked for us, but the people upset about it are complaining. >> when you zipped through the lanes as you did, they were open to everybody because they are open to everybody at the moment. actually so far it's working okay. the traffic system is not throwing up some of the problems perhaps -- >> a little bit of a rail problem the other night leaving the olympic park when people were looking at me and smiling. i have to mention it. >> that's all right. there was a rail problem on the central line but recovered. actually, the interesting thing was that london was able to

absorb the problem and we got 64,000 people into the olympic stadium and out again without any problems at all. >> boris johnson, the mayor of london who will make headlines later when he goes out and tackles the olympic torch as it goes through the streets of london. >> i'm in the going to do that, matt. >> good luck. >> thank you. >> pleasure to be here. back to savannah. all right, matt. thank you. back at home, the investigation into the friday's colorado shooting is moving forward, this as survivors got a special visit from "the dark knight rises" star christian bale. mike taibbi is in colorado again for us this morning. mike, good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, savannah. one sign of how much people return the country are hurting for aurora, the state victims' fund that's been set up has reached $2 million with warner brothers, the studio that produced the film the victims were watching making its own

sizable contribution. gun sales here are surging even as the investigation continues into how the lone suspect could have caused so much misery. batman star christian bale came to counsel unannounced to visit injured victims, victims' families and first responders. it was the posted cell phone photos that got the story out. >> he was very nice, very sincere. he wasn't there about himself. he was just there to show his support and that people cared. >> the theater where "the dark knight rises" may never open again. there and at the apartment home of suspect james holmes, front-runners and fbi agents continued the collection of evidence. they will also pour over the records of the medical college where holmes had been a phd candidate before dropping out, supported by a 26,000 federal stipend. school officials wouldn't say whether the suspect might have used thousands of those taxpayer dollars for the arsenal police say he assembled. >> the national standard for

supplying living stipends for phd students so they could devote 100% of their efforts to research. >> reporter: nbc confirmed he connected on one dating site, called classic jim, said sole penetrating eyes were his best future. and a question for any potential matches, will you visit me in prison? after the world got a first look at holmes in court there was a spike in gun applications, a 43% spike in the week before the massacre. >> when i showed up, about 40 people standing outside waiting to get in. >> reporter: there were hopeful signs of renewal. katie medley in the theater gave birth to hugo jackson medley. her husband caleb was gravely

wounded. they are doing great. caleb's brother said he's doing better. >> he's listed as critical but in stable condition and making small improvements, baby steps every day. >> reporter: baby steps in the city's recovery. one step at a time in the case against james holmes. next monday he'll be in court to hear the formal charges against him. in the months to follow, the answer to two key questions, will the state seek the death penalty and will james holmes plead guilty by reason of insanity. savannah. >> a long road ahead. mike taibbi in colorado. thank you. we are here in london, so that raises the trivia question who is holding down the fort at studio 1a in new york. at least temporarily, hoda kotb who is at the news desk with the headlines. how are you? >> how did you leave me and kathie lee here. we are trashing this joint. >> moments of insanity. >> i don't know how you did it. all right, guys.

in the news protests have turned violent in anaheim, california, over recent involved police shootings, including one that killed an unarmed man. the city council asked the city attorney's office to investigate shootings. a newly released video shows an orca at seaworld tempting to drown her trainer. it has been made public in the investigation into the 2010 death of seaworld trainer dawn branche brancheau. the orca drags him under twice as he struggles for his life. once they return to the surface he's able to calm the orca into releasing his foot and he swims frantically away. he survives. the trainer would have released him if he remained calm. the poll on the race to the white house shows the president's negative rating is 43% and republican rival mitt

romney isn't faring much better, a 40% rating, the highest yet. president obama is leading in the poll as 49% surveyed say they would vote for him versus 43% for romney. now onto wall street, courtney regan at the new york stock exchange. another rough day ahead? >> it could be. on tuesday, dow closed are lower by triple digits for the third day in a row, something that hasn't happened since september, economic head winds bruising corporate profits. missed estimates by more than a dollar as iphone sales came up short. investors actually looking to a stream of reports today for a little hope, a bright spot in the summer. >> thank you. three years after michael jackson's debt his family

conflicts are taking center stage. police were called over a fight between his daughter paris and sister janet jackson seen here on surveillance video. over the weekend the family reported jackson's mother jackson missing. she's since been found safe with her daughter in arizona. we'll have a lot more coming up in a live report. actor sherman hemsley, known as upwardly mobile george jefferson. he got his start as archie bunker's neighbor in "all in the family" but it made him a household name. who could forget that deluxe apartment in the sky. let's go back to the gang. >> thanks so much. al, we checked with the weather. this clipboard is doubling as a fan. >> moving around warm air but keep doing it. >> i'm trying to help you. >> thank you. very nice. just keep going. let's see what we've got for you. here is the forecast for london over the next three days.

we're talking about temperatures staying in the 80s. chance of afternoon showers by friday. but the good news is those shower chances will start to decrease as we get on into the opening ceremony, 9:00, cloudy, just a 20% chance of showers. temperatures will be in the upper 60s. that's what going on around the country, here is what's hay, >> good morning. after some big thunderstorms last night, it will be a nice one tonight with mostly sunny skies. and that's your latest weather. matt. >> thank you very much. here in london one thing people

are not so proud of is the ongoing tabloid phone hacking scandal. now for the first time it's alleged to have american victims. nbc's michelle kosinski has more on that side of the story. michelle, good morning to you. >> hi, matt, right. london wants to put its best face on display and this scandal keeps rearing its ugly head. former employees charged with hacking into phone mails to get scoops, including voice mails to brad pitt and angelina jolie. they are among the most famous faces on the planet. now the latest they have had their most private lives tapped into by tabloids. in 2005 and 2006 an editor and chief reporter conspired to hack into the voice mail of brad pitt and angelina jolie including a stunt double that worked on tomb

raider. >> when a u.s. computer is hacked into, there's a potential to bring a lawsuit in a u.s. court even if the hacking occurred entirely overseas. >> reporter: they add to a long, long history of confirmed and potential hacking victims, nearly 5,000 of them. celebrities, politicians, victims of terrorist attacks and murders. many testified in the government's ongoing investigation into hacking. >> my access number, pin numbers, e-mail was actually used to hack my e-mail in 2008. >> i said, there is no way you could know that unless you've been listening to my messages and he laughed. >> we're talking about very that's people here. >> reporter: among those charged former "news of the world" editor colson, spokesman. >> we worked on behalf of victims of crime. the idea i would sit in my office dreaming up skins to undermine investigations is

simply untrue. >> reporter: and rebekah brooks, formerly one of rupert murdoch's chief executives accused of conspiring to break into the e-mail of abducted teenager which gave her parents false hope she had not been murdered. >> she picked up her voice mail. she's alive. >> reporter: brooks denies the allegation, denies condoning hacking or knowing about it as his rupert murdoch and his son james. so this question, were there american victims and will that expand the investigation or bring lawsuits in the u.s. in this case the stunt double is british, not clear where she was when the alleged conspiracy took place. there are other alleged victims that think it happened to them while they were in the u.s. matt. >> michelle kosinski, also here in london. michelle, thank you very much. one of the highlights we are all looking forward to is the showdown at the aquatic center

between ryan lochte and michael phelpsnd our ryan for the games is over at club speedo this morning. ryan, good morning to you. >> good morning, guys. club speedo right outside olympic stadium where it's in the low 80s. it's like southern california here. >> ryan, hi. >> sorry, we thought we lost you. >> we're going to blame jet lag. matt has no excuse but that's our excuse. we're covered. >> so talk a little about club speedo. what goes on there? what do you expect there? >> in a little bit we'll chat with michael phelps and the u.s. swim team. they are all sort of here having some lunch. michael is excited, i think, to get the action started. he's very excited about saturday night, which i think a lot of people are as well. so we're going to chat with them about what's on their minds and get into these games.

it's my first olympics so i'm taking it all in. >> all right. we went out to a restaurant, we should tell people last night, you and me and others, and you won the olympic eating competition. so congratulations on that. >> what was for dinner. >> epic. it was epic. he did himself very proud. >> i still owe you a dinner. two for you, none for me. i'll get you while we're here. >> it's a deal. we're going to have much more from ryan, including an interview with michael phelps and much more from the tower of london. but first this is "today" on nbc.

after your local news.

>> this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am stan stovall. a happy update to bring you this morning on some late breaking news we brought you the last hour and a half or the mother of cal ripken has been found safe in baltimore county. the 74-year-old was reported missing hours ago.

there is no word on exactly where she was or her exact position, but great news, she has been found safe and sound. >> let's get you up to date, because 95 has been a big problem spot. the good news is that the accident is off to the side, but still dealing with those delays. you may find some delays because we have an accident in the chopper region. we are looking at accident 795 all the way down to edmondson. southbound 71 and 95 out of the owings mills area. showing some improvement as folks had southbound. the beltway at security is looking a lot better than last check.

tony as a check on your forecast. >> beautiful star this wednesday morning. temperatures are in the upper 60s and low 70's. dew points are in the 50's, very unusual this time of year. the next two days, temperatures will get back into the 90's. scattered thunderstorms are possible both days. another front going through another front going through friday night and that should not

♪ ♪ [ male announcer ] virtual wallet can help you be that person who's good with money. see what's free to spend. move money with a slide. save with a shake. feel good about your decisions.

wednesday morning july 25th, 2012. it's 12:30 in the afternoon here in london. we could not ask for nicer weather, right around 80 degrees. sunny, nary a cloud in the sky. good morning to you. i'm savannah guthrie alongside

al roker, al roker and matt lauer. you said don't bring the weather. >> you did very well. i don't get to hear the word nary. >> it sounded british. >> i also told you to brush up on your nbc information book. >> here we go again. >> i have day three of my olympic quiz. this isn't just olympic quiz, just general knowledge. we all know here in london we're five hours ahead of new york time, right? in terms of time zone. what is the time difference between the site of the 2012 summer games and 2008 summer games. >> ask matt. >> seven hours. >> six. >> that is correct. seven hours. george bernard shaw once famously said england and america are two countries separated by what? >> the pond. >> english. >> we all know here in this country waiting in line is

called queueing. so when people use the word jumper, what are they referring to? >> a sweater. >> very good. >> finally paid off. >> what are they referring to when they say a kit? >> an umbrella? >> it's a uniform. wearing his or her kit. >> old troubles in your kit bag. >> that went better than i thought. >> one more. you're not out of the woods. what is the best selling motorized vehicle in the uk last year. >> ford fiesta. >> that was not in the book. >> it was in the book. >> ford is the number one and number two best selling cars. >> i think you guys did very well considering jet lag. congratulations. >> thank you. >> we get the gold medal. >> just ahead, one man could become the most decorated olympian ever.

we're talking about michael phelps. he needs three metals of any color. to accomplish that he would pass a female soviet gymnast. coming up, ryan seacrest will be talking to the man of the hour. in contention for the medal, the american women's soccer team. they will be in action today against france. the goalie has made some controversial comments. we'll get into that story as well. we're begin this half hour in california where an ongoing feud between the jackson family members is escalating. jason kennedy is in los angeles for us. good morning to you. >> reporter: hey, savannah, good morning. the jackson family feud that began this weekend with reports to police that michael jackson's mother katherine was missing has escalated into a face-to-face confrontation involving janet jackson and her niece paris. like the dramatic productions

we've come to associate with michael jackson, this new family conflict was caught on camera. surveillance video at the california home of katherine jackson shows an suv with randy, janet and jermaine jackson as it pulls into the driveway behind the vehicle driving michael jackson's three children home from summer school. at first the meeting appears cordial. prince jackson exits the front passenger seat and walks over to his uncle randy greeting him with a hug. paris jackson is also seen in the grainy video hugging aunt janet. moments later things got heated and police were called. >> jermaine, randy, janet and the kids, something like that. i'm thinking they are bringing them home. then they get out with their cell phones. they are filming, all this kind of stuff. randy calls prince over to him. he was like kind of pushing him aw away. janet ran up to paris and tried to take her phone. she went back and didn't want

her to take the phone. they diverted them in the house. it all happened at once. they all started to come in the door and things got crazy. someone called 911 and the police showed up. >> on tuesday randy jackson spoke to al sharpton and gave his account of what happened. >> we did got to the phone to let paris and prince know they can visit with their grandma at any time. we felt someone was trying to twist the story and make it though we were the problem, denying them access to their grandma. when we got to the home, we were kind of denied access to our own home by security. >> i told them, they are not going to come and take the kids out of here. they already took miss jackson out of the house. we're not going to let them take the kids out of the house. >> i just want to say i love him

so much. >> reporter: when michael jackson died his will left custody of his three children to katherine jackson. jackson's father and siblings got nothing. tuesday the executor of michael's estate issued a statement about the children. we are concerned that we do what we can to protect them from undue influences, bullying, greed and other unfortunate circumstances. >> there's a ton at stake with the estate. they certainly want to make sure not only the entire family is taken care of but they want to make sure the children's best interest are as well. >> it became public when trent reported her missing to police. an investigation found she was safe and with her daughter rebbie in arizona. as of last wednesday she had yet to speak with her grandchildren prince, blanket or paris, who has taken to twitter to urge that her grandmother come back home. >> i'm protecting her and i'm looking out for her best

interest. i don't have no motive behind what i do. she want me there, i'm going to be there. >> trent jackson told us after watching tape of the ugly incident at the jackson home, he's embarrassed and hopes his family can sit down and work things out together. but above all, he just wants katherine jackson back home with her grandchildren. savannah. >> all right. jason kennedy in los angeles. thank you. now we want to get a check on our lovely weather with mr. roker. hey, al. >> hey, guys, thanks so much. we are here along the thames. we've got some friends from minneapolis. hi, what's your names? >> julie. >> katie. >> having a good time? for the olympics? no? what? when are you going home? >> we're going to paris from here. >> not so bad. a nice consolation prize. >> the water is kind of low here but in phoenix just outside of phoenix, boy, was it wet.

you want to talk about flash flooding, because of all the burning going on, there was no vegetation to hold back the water. so you can see how quickly they had flash flooding here, really unbelievable. let's take a look and see as far as the heat is concerned again, a very wide area, very hot conditions, excessive heat watches and warnings, advisories in effect. temperatures continue into the upper 90s, well over 100. in fact, heat index's make it feel anywhere from 100 to 110 degrees. that's >> good morning. it will be a beautiful day today. the dew points are in the 50's.

>> and that's your latest weather. savannah. >> all right, al. thanks. coming up next ryan seacrest sits down with michael phelps. coming up right after this. big year for spelling. par, here's what the kids will n-e-e-d. ♪ pens and markers, paper wide ruled. ♪ ♪ hoodies, sneakers, tape, sticks of glue.♪ ♪ large boxes pencils, highlighters. ♪ ♪ sneakers and t-shirts. ♪ notebooks and jeans, ♪ notebooks and jeans, ♪ notebooks and jeeeeans, yeah! ♪ ♪ notebooks and jeans! announcer: school takes a lot, target has it all. with the bankamericard cash rewards credit card, we earn more cash back for the things we buy most. 1% cash back everywhere, every time. 2% on groceries. 3% on gas. automatically.

no hoops to jump through. no annual fee. that's 1% back on... wow! 2% on my homemade lasagna. 3% back on [ friends ] road trip!!!!!!!!!!!! [ male announcer ] get 1-2-3 percent cash back. apply online or at a bank of america near you. ♪ with tums freshers! concentrated relief that goes to work in seconds and freshens breath. ♪ tum...tum...tum...tum... tums! ♪ [ male announcer ] tums freshers. fast relief, fresh breath, [ female announcer ] take the pantene dare to compare challenge. get healthier, stronger hair in less than 7 days guaranteed. then tell us your results on facebook. pantene healthier hair in less than 7 days. but what about your wrinkles. neutrogena® rapid wrinkle repair. it has the fastest retinol formula available.

it's clinically proven to visibly reduce wrinkles in just one week. "why wait if you don't have to." rapid wrinkle repair. neutrogena®. recommended most by dermatologists. you kids almost ready? i've got breakfast waiting for you. wooo! uh oh. what? mom's doing her exercise video again. when mom's on a health kick, all of us are.

and now she's made us breakfast. uh oh. [ male announcer ] eggo nutri-grain waffles. you know it's made with 8 grams of whole grain and is a good source of fiber. all they know is it tastes great. eggo nutri-grain waffles. use the points we earn with our citi thankyou card for a relaxing vacation. ♪ sometimes, we go for a ride in the park. maybe do a little sightseeing. or, get some fresh air. but this summer, we used our thank youpoints to just hang out with a few friends in london. [ male announcer ] the citi thankyou visa card. redeem the points you've earned to travel with no restrictions. rewarding you, every step of the way. pretty shot of the river

thames as we welcome you back to london. we continue the countdown to the summer games. michael phelps already holds the record for the most gold medals. he has 14. if he wins three gold medals of any color he becomes the most decorated olympian of all time. "today's" special correspondent ryan seacrest is standing with the man right now. ryan, take it away. >> here we are with as he said, the man, michael phelps. you got here monday for your fourth and what you say is your final olympics. how was it different the arrival emotionally for you knowing this would be the last one. >> it's kind of been weird. we've said everything, this is my last tuesday afternoon workout. this is my last double. yesterday was my last double. it's like it's cool to say but also kind of emotional. i think back over the last 20 years of what has happened through my career. it's been a lot of great memories. i think that's one thing that i'm looking forward to this week, a lot of good memories and

moments. hopefully i finish my career with some good swims. >> a few weeks back at the trials, you said there's more work to get done. you want to get faster. what have you focused on to do that? >> more stroke control, getting back to my old strokes. i really didn't feel like it at the trial. working on small things. breaststroke, i literally had to start from scratch and work on the entry and my hands, keep my hands together. a lot of little small things we've been able to tweak. >> where do you think you are physically and mentally? >> physically i'm a lot better than what i was. mentally, part of it is coming day by day, being able to kind of visualize my races and prepare myself for what could happen, what i want to happen, what i don't want to happen so i'm ready for everything. >> you have a chance to see the aquatic center, the pool? is it a fast pool? what's it like? >> pretty cool.

overwhelming. you look up on both sides of the stands and there's a lot of stands there. >> you like that, right. >> it will be cool. hopefully some loud cheering and the place will be rocking. i remember in 2000, the floor was almost -- you could feel like the floor shaking. more people here, hopefully a loud venue. >> stay with the other athletes in the village. >> we are. >> what are you doing in your downtime there? >> i've pretty much just been watching tv shows. i started the wire and catching up on breaking bad. a little bit of sitting around watching shows and movies. >> there have been reports of no air conditioning. is that true? >> we walked in and tried to crank the thermostat down. nothing was happening all day. they told us in a meeting we have no air conditioning. some of us are lucky enough to have -- i think everybody on the team has little like college dorm fans that rotate. so we have some air circulating. >> more comfortable now.

>> yeah. everybody has to deal with it. >> if you win three medals here in london, you go on to become the most decorated olympian of all time. have you stepped back to think about how significant that is in history, michael? >> you know, i think a lot of things i've done through my career haven't really sunk in yet. you know, i think i guess the more i move through my life, i think some of those moments will sink in more. i have a job to finish here. that's why i'm here, why i'm setting out on saturday to start my journey. hopefully it's a good one. i'm looking forward to getting in the water and race. the goal is as to try and swim faster here than you did at trials. if i do that, then i've made progress. >> what's the journey after this journey? i know you're looking forward to having a little bit of fun. if you booked any trips, made any plans? >> we have a couple of trips booked, looking forward to relaxes, doing whatever i want to do, going wherever i want to

go, just living life. having fun every day, have a smile, wake up, be lucky to be here. >> you deserve it. good luck. michael phelps, good to see you. >> thank you. >> matt. >> ryan, thank you very much. a little more from ryan later on. michael goes up against ryan in the 400 im. that takes place saturday. you will see it, of course, on nbc. another group of athletes making headlines. this time off the field, the u.s. women's soccer team. some of the comments captured in the headlines concern this program right here. we'll have more about that right after this. [ male announcer ] avocado season's goin' strong at subway. avocado on a subway club... now we're talking! [ male announcer ] this super-food makes a protein packed subway club super delicious. rich, creamy avocado has gotta be part of your training routine. great flavor, great protein. try avocado on any sub. [ male announcer ] like the ultimate veggie. your choice of freshly baked bread piled high with your favorite fresh veggies and power-foods spinach and avocado.

subway. the official training restaurant of laila ali... apolo ohno... michael strahan and athletes everywhere. molly, ordinary soap. would they switch? ♪ notice a difference? it feels a bit tight. [ female announcer ] soap leaves behind soap residue that can cause a tight, draggy feeling. with one-quarter moisturizing cream, dove cleansers rinse cleaner than soap. ♪ show us your skin and you could appear in a dove ad with thousands of real women, just like you. just upload a photo of yourself and join the campaign

at dove.com/showusyourskin. silver and bronze... ♪ it's the red. it's the green and yellow. it's the red, white and blue. because at the olympic games, it's not the color you go home with that matters. it's the colors you came in and when colors mean this much,

you can only trust them to tide. so help keep your country's colors true, with tide. welcome back to london, the opening ceremony of these olympic games is two days away. the competition actually begins today. all 12 women's soccer teams take the pitch including the gold meteorologist favorites from the united states. gold medal favorites from the united states. at the beijing olympics in 2008, the u.s. women's soccer team took home the gold and won the hearts of the nation. after the games, their winning streak continued. just last year the u.s. women made it to the finals of the world cup and captivated fans once again as they played their hearts out only to be beaten by japan in a nail biting penalty kick shoot-out.

>> they want to make up for that defeat at the world cup final last year by taking and defending their gold medal here in london. >> expectations are high for team usa as they take the field tonight, a team that has landed in the spotlight over the past few weeks for what has been happening off the field rather than on it. just weeks ago the team's controversial star goalie hope solo received a warning from the anti-doping agency after she tested positive for a banned substance. solo says the positive test was as a result of a prescription drug she was taking and was unaware of the substance. this after she admitted espn magazine she snuck nonathletes into the olympic village during the games in 2008. she said at some point we decided to take the party back to the village, so we started talking to the security guards, showed off our gold medals, got their attention and snuck our group through without credentials, which is absolutely unheard of.

>> we are here with u.s. soccer team -- >> reporter: went on to say she and her team showed up drunk for this appearance after their gold medal win. quote, when we were done partying, we got out of our nice dresses, got back into our stadium coats and at 7:00 a.m. with no sleep went on the "today" show drunk. >> this interview has to raise serious questions about judgment and accountability and responsibility and about the privilege of wearing team usa's uniform. >> with 11 of the 18 members of the team back in action, the women are hoping to defend their winning title and take their place once again on top of the podium. >> everybody knows hope is probably the best goalie in the world. you want to say the team is going to play well. they have won three of the last four gold medals here. they go home with anything shy of a gold medal, it's a disappointment. >> you can catch team usa against france live 11:30 eastern time on the sports

network. up next, international soccer star david beckham. ♪ ♪ [ male announcer ] school supplies... it's guaranteed they'll go through a lot. that's why you get guaranteed savings for back to school at staples. now, buy 2 hp ink cartridges and get the third one free at staples. ♪ at staples. mornings are a special time for the two of you...) and now you can make them even more special... with new fancy feast mornings. mornings are delicious protein rich entrées... with garden veggies and egg. each one perfectly designed... to start her day with a little love. new fancy feast mornings gourmet cat food. the best ingredient is love. new pencils, new books...

new backpack...looks good. just trying to look our best. gonna take more than looks. from what i hear, ms. haskins is a toughy. oh we had a good breakfast, so we're ready. gonna be another great year, huh guys?! you bet your 8 layers! yeah! long distance high 5. whoa! oh, careful. hey, watch it. [ female announcer ] packed with fiber and nearly a day's worth of whole grains, kellogg's frosted mini-wheats cereal helps keep your kids full and focused all morning long. now available in touch of fruit raspberry. keeps 'em full. keeps 'em focused. he thinks you're naked. it just looks like my milk chocolate is showing. only a fool would think i'd actually show up naked. so it's that kind of party...hit it! ♪ i'm sexy and i know it ♪ look at that body new venus & olay. olay moisture bars help lock in moisture... while five blades get venus close. revealing smooth and goddess skin begins. only from venus & olay.

hey lolo, pull that trail leg through. then i want you to punch that knee down the track. punch it. 'cause if you win gold, i could win prizes at mcdonald's. shin parallel to the track... then you just go -- that's a decent start. [ male announcer ] keep an eye on your us athletes when you enjoy select favorites under 400 calories at mcdonald's. when they win gold, you could win prizes. hydration, hydration, hydration. [ male announcer ] the simple joy of winning. i can't stress it enough. for their "destination wedding." double miles you can "actually" use. but with those single mile travel cards... [ bridesmaid ] blacked out... but i'm a bridesmaid. oh! "x" marks the spot she'll never sit. but i bought a dress! a toast... ...to the capital one venture card. fly any airline, any flight, anytime. double miles you can actually use. what a coincidence? what's in your wallet? [ all screaming ] watch the elbows ladies.

>> this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am mindy basara. >> it is ticking time for the volume to clear out on 795. as we look at our map, 17 miles per hour on average. once again on to the beltway on the north side, tapping the brakes from harford to providence.

in the city, an accident. reisterstown road all the way down to the west side. mcdonough road and pikesville road, we have accident piping of. this is the pace of things with a slow ride to white marsh. that switch over to a live view of traffic on the north side. delays on the outer loop, harford 2 dulaney valley. >> we had a friend come through last night. -- front come through last night. dew points are in the mid-to- upper 50's. this edition way down to the south -- precipitation down to the south. that is our forecast for the rest of the day.

temperatures between 84 and 89. friday, into the 90's. lingering showers on saturday.

we are back now, 8:00 wednesday morning, 25th day of july, 2012. as you look at the olympic rings hanging from the tower bridge over the thames. countdown under way. for me, more importantly, the team is here. we've got savannah guthrie here, natalie morales here, meredith vieira was here yesterday. great to have you back here. and mr. roker is over on tower bridge just behind us. al, how does it look from there? >> a spectacular view of the tower bridge and of the thames. this is a drawbridge.

it splits in half right about here. so on this side, summer, this side winter. summer, winter, summer, winter. >> we've done that already. >> sorry. sorry. >> all right, al. we're going to see you in just a second. meanwhile a lot coming up here. >> we're going to check in with 17-year-old missy franklin that could walk away or swim away with a lot of hardware. she's swimming in seven econvenience. she may medal in seven events and she's made time for us. we'll talk to her in a bit. >> we'll talk to some of the women on the u.s. women's gymnastics team. they stand a good chance scoring a team goal, which if they do would be the first time in 16 users. >> did you hear bela karolyi yesterday. he was very optimistic. >> it's an incredible team of five young women. >> catch up with soccer star

david beckham. he's an ambassador to the olympics. a lot of people are hoping. it's been reported he might light the calderon. matt and i know the answer to that but i'm not saying a word. we're not saying anything. he is playing an important role. he has a real fondness for the royal family, we'll talk about them, especially the queen. >> we have to be careful. we're taking part in rehearsals, what we do and do not say about the opening. one thing we can say for certain, ryan seacrest will not light the calderon but will join us between club speedo. >> i can't tweet away secrets. goth gotcha. here we are with the swim team. say hi. >> hi. >> let's start with natalie

coughlin, how is this different? >> the village is incredible, the food is good. i'm not going to lie, it's nice to have english. >> you're back after beijing. why the change of heart for you? >> it's one of those deals, i didn't want to sit at home and watch it on tv. i wanted to be here representing my country. every four years you get that itch and here i am. >> dana, you had gold in athens, didn't make it in beijing and back in london. what does it mean to be standing here today? >> such an honor to be here again. gone through that experience missing the team, i got that itch more, wanting to be here and represent the u.s. starting off with my favorite event and kicking off the meet, it's going to be great. >> what advice, natalie, are you giving the newcomers, since you've done it before. >> just take it like any other swim meet. there's so much that goes on with the olympics but you have to realize it's the same 103

you've always been swimming and have fun, represent your country well and enjoy the experience. take it all in. more than anything, the next three weeks will flyby so take a breath and take it all in. >> good advice. good luck to all of you. nice to see you. thanks for joining us in this wonderful heat. you want to get in the water, in the pool in this heat. back to you, matt. >> ryan, thank you very much. ryan seacrest at club speedo this morning. >> we want to check on the day's top stories. we head back to new york where hoda kotb is holding down the news deck. >> you look great out there. good morning, everybody. batman star christian bale made a low key visit to comfort victims of friday movie massacre, 12 killed, 58 wounded watching "the dark knight rises." donations to a fund have reached $2 million. an official at university of colorado would not say tuesday if suspect james holmes may have used any of his $26,000 federal

grant to purchase weapons. now to the high-stakes contract negotiations for the hit sitcom "modern family." >> we adopted a baby. >> modern family, among the most successful tv shows. >> didn't you teach him how to ride a bike? >> how could i? i don't know how to ride a bike. >> winning awards and making millions. >> yikes. >> five of the lead actors have filed a lawsuit in los angeles superior court against the producers of "modern family" 20th century fox television. sofia vergara, eric stonestreet, ty burrell, julie bowen with sixth lead actor ed o'neill reporting planning to join the lawsuit. even though it went on the air in 2009, the actors want their current contract voided, arking it violates the seven-year rule under california labor code and therefore illegal and wholly

void. >> the modern family cast says they have a right to toss out their contract because from the start of shooting their pilot to the end of their current contract, it goes longer than seven years. >> 20th century fox declined to comment. production was set to begin this week but now on hold. who is going to give, the studio or actors. >> here is the deal. the "modern family" cast is demanding a lot more money. on the other hand, they are irreplaceable. my prediction is they are going to be successful. because what's 20th century fox going to do? they are going to have to get out their checkbooks and pay up. >> according to neilson, modern family regularly draws more than 13 million viewers. host alex trebek returned to the set tuesday for the first time since owe suffered a heart attack last month. he began taping. he's 76 years old. now a quick roundup of what you guys are talking on line.

jefferson out with a new video "good time" a collaboration. good time racked up nearly a half million youtube hits in the first day. the singing walrus, you'll know why he's a top attraction in tacoma, washington. you've got to be kidding me. e.t. was a pup when rescued in alaska. i feel like that some mornings. athletes on the team thank their british host by trying to imitate the well-known cockney accent. >> make a nice cup of rosalie.

>> hansel and gretel and make us a nice cup. >> i don't want to hear you anymore. >> all right. they get a gold medal for just trying. >> it is now 8:07. i don't know what's going on in the studio but kathie lee -- >> hair and makeup in london, i have to help you. >> taking care of al roker. how are you, honey? hello? >> wow, thank you, hoda. thanks so much. we are here at the tower bridge. as we mentioned, there are the olympic rings for all to see as boat traffic goes up and down the thames. as we look and show you our pick city today, basically again not a bad one here in london. it is a fantastic day. we do have a risk of strong storms back through the mid plains. we've also got record breaking heat again in the midsection of the country. look for a gorgeous day along

the west coast. we do expect to see some wet weather, strong storms moving later today in through the northeast. that's what going on aro >> good morning. after some big thunderstorms last night, it will be a nice one tonight with mostly sunny skies. and that's your latest weather. savannah. >> al, thanks so much. we're going to check in live with 17-year-old phenom missy "the missile" franklin coming up right after this. hi. i'm timothy. i came from the garden. [ cindy ] is he for us? mom, dad... i'm getting that feeling.

[ male announcer ] on august 15th comes the family movie of the summer. why are you smiling? i can only get better. [ male announcer ] and once you meet timothy green... [ laughs ] i never thought i'd hear that laugh again. [ male announcer ] ...you'll never be the same. that little guy of yours -- he's something special. [ cindy ] everyone he touches, he changes. [ male announcer ] "the odd life of timothy green," rated pg.

more generations of fleas. frontline plus uses two ingredients. one to kill adult fleas and ticks. plus another to kill the next generation, flea eggs and larvae. ask your vet about frontline plus. that magic does exist. it's called science! here's what they'll need. ♪ pencils, folders, notebooks. ♪

♪ backpacks, denims, graphic tees. ♪ ♪ markers, calculators. whoa! ♪ ♪ converse one start tennies ♪ well, pencils, hair gel, binders. ♪ ♪ pencils, hair gel, binders. announcer: school takes a lot, target has it all. she gives me snickers peanut butter squared and i eat it. it's snickers with creamy peanut butter, would you like one? let's just keep an open mind. [ groans ]

[ male announcer ] if you like peanut butter and chocolate, you'll love peanut butter and snickers. try snickers peanut butter squared. you'll love peanut butter and snickers. celebrate the biggest sale of the year, the 25th anniversary sale & sweepstakes at petsmart. save up to 25% on thousands of items, and save $10 on all bayer k9 advantix® ii and advantage® ii flea or tick products in 6-packs and save $5 on 4-packs. at petsmart®. wednesday morning in london, the tower of london, for another day of olympic coverage. one of the names you're going to be hearing an awful lot about over the next couple of weeks is missy franklin. she's 17 years old. she's from colorado. she's still in high school and she is going to be one of the breakout stars of the game and missy joins us live. great to see you this morning. >> so great to see you. >> before we get to the fun stuff, we also want to remind people you go to school in aurora, colorado, train there,

liver in centennial a few miles away. there was tragedy there last week with the shooting in the theater. your thoughts there right now? >> my thoughts and prayers are constantly with the victims of aurora. hearing that news was so hard, because even a lot of people at home hadn't heard it yet because we were ahead in france, the time zone was so ahead. kind of waiting to hear from my friends and family to make sure they were okay was just miserable. >> you say your thoughts are there. i know they are. you come here to the olympics. focus is so important for you. has it affected your focus at all? >> it can't. i'm thinking about them constantly but i know that unfortunately the only thing i can do to make that situation any better is put my focus here and hopefully do the best i can to shine some light on colorado and make them proud. >> let me talk about expectations. have we been unfair to you? you know what i mean. we have hyped you, not just the "today" show, but the media in general has hyped you so much coming to these games, is it

unfair? >> i wouldn't call it unfair, absolutely not. i think it's so much support and at times could be overwhelming. i've said pit 100 times only expect as are my own. the only thing i care about is my own, my coach and my family. i know that's what you want me to do. >> you made history the first woman in the pool to qualify for seven events in london. that's an amazing accomplishment but adds pressure. >> definitely. it's hard coming to my first olympic games and swim thanksgiving many events. i have so many teams helping me, with me. michael is swimming seven. he'll help me out with that. >> you've been training with the team. have any of the older swimmers, i mentioned you're young, given you any advice that's useful. >> we have constant team meetings where veterans telling us what to expect, what to be preparing for when we get here. it's so helpful.

the best piece of advice i got is to take in every moment, enjoy every second. >> one thing we try to do on this program as we cover the olympics is break news. sometimes it's not great news, athletes blow a knee. you tell me you may have blown a fuse. tell me about this. >> we were straightening our hair to go on the "today" show. >> we meaning you. >> i plugged the converter in and heard a pop and our fan started to turn off. everyone is like, why is nothing working? i was just like -- >> you know half of london went da dark and has no air conditioning. >> all my fault. we went to athletes services. >> your parents such a part of your story, even sacrificed a lot to get you here. they arrived today? >> they fly out today and get here tomorrow. >> what do you think it will be like for them to see their daughter in an olympic pool for the tiers time.

>> i think they are so excited. i've been skipg them every day. they miss me so much, and i miss them. we probably won't have a lot of time this week but after this week we'll be together. >> missy franklin, you've been so generous with your time. i really appreciate it. you've already made us proud. go have fun. >> thank you. >> when we come back, meredith sits down with david beckham for a great interview. that comes after this. [ kristin ] i'm a grazer, i'm definitely a grazer.

oranges or just juice the acid that i'm eating could be causing damage to my teeth. the dentist recommended pronamel. he said that pronamel would help protect me from the effects of acid erosion. i feel like i'm doing the right thing for my teeth, and it feels good. with the azerbaijani wrestling team. ♪ can febreze air effects defeat the smelly air in their gym for good? [ man ] what can you smell? [ inhales deeply ] a lot of flowers. it's on the zingy side of floral. potpourri factory, maybe. you can take off your blindfolds now.

oh my gosh. [ laughter ] [ male announcer ] success. victory over odors, for good, both here and in your home. febreze. breathe happy. begins with back pain and a choice. take advil, and maybe have to take up to four in a day. or take aleve, which can relieve pain all day with just two pills. good eye. which can relieve pain all day with just two pills. are a sizzling deal, starting at 6 bucks. try our new lunch-size chicken fajitas, sauteed onions and peppers topped with grilled chicken, served with soup or salad. chili's lunch break combos, starting at 6 bucks. ♪ ♪ if somebody asked do you think you could say ♪

♪ the number of times that you click in a day ♪ ♪ clicks to email and tweet and to message and game ♪ ♪ 12 clicks just to look up that one actor's name ♪ ♪ ♪ it never occurs those clicks actually could ♪ ♪ click somewhere on something that does someone good ♪ ♪ but the next hundred days your clicks can decide ♪ ♪ which hundred nonprofits take home a new ride ♪

back now in london with the burning question here and around the world with opening ceremonies just two days away, who will light the olympic calderon. a lot of people are speculating it could be soccer sensation david beckham. meredith, opening ceremonies along with bob costas and matt. recently sat down with him. dug the answer? >> he's going to play a significant role. an ambassador, instrumental getting the olympics here. in terms of the calderon, he doesn't feel he deserves that honor because he's never been an olympian, which i didn't realize. never been in the olympics. i recently spoke to him about all things great britain. he talked quite a bit about his relationship with prince harry and william and his adoration of the queen.

>> the queen is someone that i feel that i've grown up with. i have great memories from we sit down on christmas day, and we've done this for years, it's a tradition. we sit down on christmas day and we listen to the queen's speech every year. my nan used to make sure that's what we do. i was brought up to love the royal family. we're big royalists. >> last year president and michelle obama came to london to visit the queen. the beckhams were invited to a dinner to welcome them to britain. >> that was a moment for me when i went to the ambassador's residence in london. there was a small room of four tables, 10 people at each table. i was thinking i'm going to be tucked in the corner somewhere out of the way. then i soot down -- >> i can't believe you would think that. >> sit me with the queen, next to the queen was the president. to my left was tom hanks. i was like oh, my god.

i don't think i spoke a word the whole dinner. i was just in awe of just being there and being opposite, you know, that person as a nation we look up to. >> see, they were sitting probably in awe to be with you. >> i very much doubt that but thank you. no, the queen means so much to us. she's an amazing woman with amazing strength. the family that she's created is incredible. >> you are friends with her grandson. >> yes. >> with william and harry and with kate as well now. how do you think she has influenced william, who will one day have to fill those shoes? >> william is an amazing person. harry is an incredible person. they both are. as brothers, they have gone through such a lot in their young lives. we've watched them go through what they went through. we've watched them grow into young men.

you've got harry, who is kind of cheeky. he's such a funny guy. >> if harry is the cheeky one, what about william? >> don't be fooled by william. william has got an amazing personality. he's a really strong person. harry is such a charismatic character but william is exactly the same. william has grown into this amazing ambassador for the country and so has harry. so we're very lucky to have two people that are going to lead our country. you know, they are both incredible. >> the beckhams had the honor of attending the wedding of the duke and duchess of cambridge. david wore his older british medal bestowed upon him by the queen. >> it was a special day. not many occasions i can wear it. it's not as if i can go and have pie mash wearing it. as i arrived at the wedding, i had it on one side. a military guy came up to me and leaned forward, an older guy.

he leaned forward and said, you've got your medal on the wrong side. i was like, okay. can you put it on the other side for me. so i slowly switched it. i think it had been seen by then. >> did william ever tease you about that? >> no, he didn't. >> maybe he doesn't know. >> i think he knows. >> and william, harry, and kate are expected toafter tend a lot of the events, including rooting on their cousin sarah phillips, competing as an equestrian. her mom was in the montreal olympics and fell off a horse. hopefully she will do better. harry is attending beach volleyball. sitting between you. >> i'm a giver, i had an extra ticket. he talked about his medal from the queen being on the wrong side. the olympic medals are right

here in the tower of london. this is where they are housing them. >> like the crown jewels around here and they still let us on the property. crazy. meredith wants to wear the crown. >> not going to high pressure. >> coming >> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am mindy basara. let's check on the morning commute with sarah caldwell. >> still holding on to these delays. southbound 95 out of the northeast, these stretch back to mountain road down to the beltway. reckord road in fallston, a near accident coming in. 95, still delay. experiencing bailout volume on pulaski, highway, and philadelphia road. north side of the beltway, you are looking at delays from

harford towards dulaney valley. slow go on the west side at 140 towards edmondson. inner loop, tapping the brakes from greenspring towards the j.f.x. mcdonough road and woods road, accident in pikesville. let's take a look at the live view of traffic. 95 and white marsh, back from mountain road to the beltway. 895 and potee street, but that delays from this point to the steel bridge. over to you, tony. >> beautiful start for us this wednesday morning. dew points are in the 50's. 74 at the airport. 67 in parkton. we could see some rain off to our west. this the leading edge of the hot air that is when to come back at us. one-day break, then back into the soup.

high temperatures between 84 and 89. chance for a few scattered showers and thunderstorms. >> another update at 8:56.

8:30 on wednesday morning, the 25th day of july, 2012. we have a beautiful view of the tower bridge in london. that's our home for the day. tomorrow we will all head for olympic park at the epic center of the action as the olympics get under way over the next couple of weeks. good morning again, i'm savannah guthrie alongside matt lauer and

natalie morales. we're missing somebody. al roker isn't here. maybe he'll turn up later. >> we have a preview of one of the "glamour" events of the summer games. >> swimming competition. gets under way with five rookies on the team. they are favored actually to win gold. they are led by two remarkable young women, gabby davis and jordan weaver. we'll catch up with them in a little bit. >> a courageous swimmer diagnosed with cancer before the 2008 beijing games. he competed anyway. good news, he is now cancer-free and he's back in a big way. we'll talk to him about his plans to win gold inland. >> we go on the road, we eat. it is the tradition around here. this morning we're going to try something called meat fruit, which does not sound all that good but it actually is food with a sense of humor. >> meat or fruit. >> the good news, i think we're finishing it off with ice cream, which is good.

meantime we'll check with al and the weather. back there clanging. >> you're kidding me. >> wow. >> you look good, al. >> it must be like 1,000 degrees in there. >> none some pass. >> what's the weather like inside your suit. >> it's actually -- i'm the original dark knight. >> how long did it take to get in that thing? >> two people and 15 minutes. all i can say is oil can, oil can. this is very uncomfortable. >> very slenderizing. it looks fantastic. >> well, it's like wearing metal spanx. it's fantastic. you've got to try this. wow. all right. anyway, let's show you what's going on as far as the weather is concerned. yes, i know it looks ridiculous, so just keep laughing, please.

anyway, i'm going to use this on myself. take a look at today, we do have a risk of strong storms making their way through the upper plains. more heat in the midsection of the country. then as we look ahead toward tomorrow, you've got more heat in the midsection of the country. no matter what they are feeling, is nowhere near as hot as inside this suit. a gorgeous day along the west coast, much cooler conditions in >> good morning. it will be a beautiful day today. the dew points are in the 50's.

and that's your latest weather. the keeper of the weapons and the armory here at the tower of london. bridget, thanks for joining us. >> good morning. >> so these weren't just for, obviously, protection. they were also very ornamental, too, weren't they? >> yes. it fit the owner exactly. depends how much money you've got as to how much you can show off. very much like modern fashion. >> this is modern fashion. very nice. actually, this is modelled after the italian -- >> slightly after a germanic one. >> the zany version of armor or armani. >> so heavy they would have to wench a knight on his horse. >> you wouldn't be able to fight. theoretically you could jump on a horse in that. >> theatre equitily. >> i wouldn't want to put you to

the test. >> we have a sword. what else do we have? this isn't a can opener. >> all those flanges are going to get their way into parts between here. it doesn't actually open you up. it's actually going to if you wear it properly. >> thank you so much and thanks for your help getting into this thing. savannah, they have a lady's version if you want to try. >> is that a breathable metal? >> no, it's not. i don't have to worry about a tan, i have to worry about rust. >> thank you, al, very much. appreciate it, bridgette, thank you. when you gaze up at the skyline you see an imposing new edition, a tal tower of glass called the shard. nbc's michelle kosinski has the story behind this. >> you can't miss it. it was 12 years in the planning, just completed at least on the outside. it opened in february. it towers over london making it a little controversial. for the most part people seem to see it as graceful, iconic and cool.

rising 1,016 feet, part of london's south bank that could use developing the shard is development at its most daring. 11,000 panes of glass to glimmer in the sun and reflect the rain. after a very fast elevator ride to the 69th floor, eventually in the 70s, you see everything, the tower, olympic park, 45 miles around. >> nobody in london has ever seen london like this before. >> did the architect immediately know he wanted to build something glass that way. >> it was very interesting. he did an initial stretch on the back of a menu. within 15 minutes he had created what we have today. >> that was the architect that

designed structures in paris inspired here by old london, spires of churches, masts of ships and old paintings. when they dug the foundation, underneath was a roman villa. this is where london really began. >> this building was not to be a symbol of arrogance or power but more like a sparkling spine, floating with the weather. >> for years they had to face the weather but the shard also greatly appears to those who flirt with danger. >> climb the shard, why not? >> american bradley garrett snuck in and scaled the uppermost crane, capturing these incredible views. a base jumper managed to bypass security to hurl himself off wearing a parachute. not once or twice but four times.

most of us content to view it from the ground. behind the glass, that is its glory. >> you think those romans in the villa ever envisioned the shard? >> i shouldn't think so. i expect they thought they had a dominating view of london telt. >> it was financed by investors in qatar. it will house offices, restaurants and 10 very swanky apartments. you know what, right after it was built the city instituted height restrictions. for right now, at least, this is as tall as london will get. savannah. >> michelle kosinski, thank you so much. coming up next, gold in gymnastics, natalie introduces us to the women to watch for. first this is "today" on nbc.

wednesday morning. one of the marquis events in any olympic games is the women's

gymnastics competition. by all accounts here in london, the u.s. has put together a very strong team. here with a preview of the competition is natalie. >> that's right, matt. the five women recently show cav cased on the cover of the magazine, as they come in as rookies, they come into the competition this weekend favored to win gold. >> no other gymnastics team, men or women, has won a team gold medal. >> it's been 16 years since that unforgettable moment. the first and only team gold the u.s. women have ever won in gymnastics. >> the women 2012 olympic team. >> experts believe that this year the team of five young ladies, gabby douglas, aly raiseman, mckaley maroney and kyla ross, all teenagers and firstime olympians could be poised to do it again.

>> they are undoubtedly the favorites to win gold come london time. >> emerged as leaders of this group, jordyn wieber champion in the all around. and gabby douglas, 16, from virginia beach. >> i feel so excited and ready to honor and commit to do my duties in london team usa. >> although they will be competing against one another in most events, national team coordinator mar take karolyi has made it clear team gold is the priority. >> they are very good friends. but all of them are going for the same goal. that goal is to make the u.s. team strong. >> both jordyn and gabby are expected to contend for gold in the individual all around, the most prestigious title in the

sport. three american women have won it in the past. mary lou retton, carly peterson. jordyn is the reliable powerhouse who has won every recent title. >> every since i started when i was 7 years old i learned to focus in on what i need to get done and stay in my zone during the competition. >> at olympic trials there was a different ending. >> gabby douglas is going to get that one guaranteed spot to london. >> i'm not really coming in second. it's my goal to come out on top. >> finish first, so grateful and so happy. >> some say this rivalry sounds familiar. going into the 2008 olympics, shawn johnson was the remaining all around champion. it was her teammate nastia liukin who walked away with the all around gold olympic medal. shawn johnson's coach is now

coaching gabby douglas. >> it's a great situation for team usa. they are pushing each other to be better and better. >> these two have quite a dual. >> the competition was really good not just for me and gabby but the whole team. >> we have all bonded. we're kind of like a family, i think. >> it's that attitude and bond that may just make them the second group of american women to take home team gold. >> to have those ladies heading into lobbed as a one-two punch, wow, look out world. >> well, the women's qualification round stars sunday, matt. definitely the team should be watching. we did hear from u.s. gymnastics mckayla maroney has a slight toe injury. she's taking it easy for practice and she'll be fine for competition. >> when we come back we'll talk about team usa swimmer and

cancer survivor going for the gold in london. i

welcome back to london as we count down to friday's opening ceremony. american swimmer eric shanteau hopes to take home the medal this weekend when he swims the 100 meter breaststroke. you may remember him from beijing, he narrowly missed getting into the finals. he was battling cancer. he just finished three and a half years cancer-free and is ready to get in the pool and go for the gold. eric, good morning. good to see you. >> good morning. >> you feel pretty good. >> i feel great. a little bit different from last time. >> i bet you had a lot on your mind as we talked about. i know you had an opportunity to go over to the aquatic center. what do you think? >> the aquatic center is great. it's going to be an amazing facility when that place gets packed with all the fans.

it's going to be a good atmosphere to swim fast. >> i was going to say, you got to get in the pool. how does it feel? is it a fast pool? >> it's going to be a fast pool? any olympic pool is a fast pool. my teammates are set to go. >> for those not familiar with your story right before the olympic trials in 2008 you found out you had testicular cancer but decided to go ahead and compete. after the surgery you went through the treatment and recovered. how does it feel after going through all that. >> a weight off my shoulders. i'm walking around this olympic games with a lighter step. i'm able to enjoy myself a little more without having to worry about a cancer diagnoses. >> i heard you were back in the pool three weeks after your surgery. how hard was it to get back in that top shape? >> i wanted to return to normalcy. i was really looking forward to get back into training. it's funny how it worked out. that first year coming back was

faster than i've ever swum before. it was kind of crazy how i came back from cancer faster than i ever was. >> i was going to ask you about that. in fact, your career really took off in 2009, 2010, 2011. what do you attribute that to? you can beat cancer, you can get anybody? >> i got a new lease on life and racing. i learned to enjoy racing and swimming in general. i think taking that mind-set behind the blocks helped me take swiming to a new level. >> we remember getting to meet your dad in 2008 who had his own battle with lung cancer. we were sad to learn he passed away. i imagine you're happy he got to see you compete at the olympics. he's still at the forefront of your mind. >> he definitely is. i know he's proud of me right now, looking down with a smile and definitely be with me when i start racing. >> i heard you used to be superstitious about swimming. for example, you'd wear the same boxer. you want to get into that? >> absolutely.

>> are you still superstitious? >> no, i think that's one of the thing that changed. all the superstitions got to be exhausting. you learn to relax and just race. i think that's really been a big help for me. >> we look forward to seeing you 100 meter breaststroke against one of your teammates. right? >> yeah. i'll actually be racing brandyan hanson as well as a member from japan. >> we'll be watching and rooting for you. good luck eric. it's great to catch up with you. glad you're doing so well. we have a lot to catch up with in london, including a lesson from ye old cooking, meat fruit. this is "today" ui#f#f#f#f#f#f#f

[ male announcer ] now at your neighborhood subway: the new santa fe steak melts. get extra grande flavor

with the santa fe steak & bacon melt or add egg for a santa fe steak, bacon & egg melt, perfect for breakfast or any time of day. subway. eat fresh. and this morning on "today's" olympic kitchen, a modern twist on specialty, here to tell us about meat fruit, we have to hear this. head chef at the london restaurant. good morning, it's good to see you. >> good morning. >> meat fruit. this was a favorite of henry viii. >> it was. made a cooked meat look like this. this is our interpretation. here we've got some chicken pate. joined together still frozen

with a stick. pop that in there. >> what are you dipping it into? >> this is a mandarin jellry. what we must do. >> let it dry off here. >> kind of like a candy apple. >> it might be a little difficult in the heat. basically we pull them off the stick, pop them onto the board, let them defrost overnight, put that in the top and there's the mandarin meat fruit. >> is this a popular dish at the restaurant. >> does it taste like chicken. >> chicken but looks like fruit. >> exactly. inside the pate itself. >> looks like a mousse. >> serving it with some kind of crusty bread. >> a light bread. >> i'll try one. >> a little pate. did you do a lot of research creating this? >> we used it on tv programs then tried to figure out a way

to make so many. >> delicious and so light. >> i'm wearing the meat fruit. >> the british are great at the open pit roasting, spit roasting. >> yeah, back in the 17th century, we were considered one of the best in europe cooking in front of an open fire. many countries send their chefs over. >> you had cookoffs. >> exactly. >> the idea of the meat fruit, an amusement, surprise for guest. >> it looks like it's going to be, very simple, a technique behind it. >> ice cream. >> next thing we're going to do, make liquid night again ice cream. we have a white trolley around the restaurant. >> do this by the table side. >> exactly. vanilla custard. >> why liquid nitrogen. obviously it freezes it. >> it freezes it quickly. >> what's the fun of it. >> you'll see the fun. >> this is minus 109 celsius.

>> pick this up at any store? ? >> very simple. >> yummy. >> you've got to be very careful when you're doing that. >> takes about 90 seconds or so, right. >> you get the liquid knnitroge right down the i'll from the plutonium. >> coming out of the machine. >> how do you know when it's done. >> i think that's ready. >> when it stops smoking. >> going to be worth the wait. >> still smoking like that. >> a fraction more. >> a little more. >> the great thing is you've got nitrogen at the table. >> i was working at the lab late one night. >> what happened to the first one? >> this whole mad scientist thing going on. >> let's try it. twenty seconds.

>> one little scoop. >> dip it right in there. oh, boy. go for it. thank you so much. very interesting. coming up, we'll meet the youngest athlete on the olympic team. >> it's like carrying the torch. we will be back after your local news and weather. >> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news in baltimore. >> good morning. i am mindy basara. pasadena teenager receives a life sentence for armed robberies in glen burnie. he admitted to killing a man and a glen burnie 7-11 and august

2010 and also pled guilty to murdering another at

>> nice day today. humidity has come down from yesterday. high temperatures between 84 and 89. tomorrow, 95, 30% chance for thunderstorms. thunderstorms. >>